English, baby!

Marcin Gortat - Beat A Shot

Date: Mar 26 2010

Themes: Celebrity, Hobbies, Sports

Grammar: Gerunds vs. Infinitives

Go Super!

Intro

1. Learn Vocabulary - Learn some new vocabulary before you start the lesson.

Go Super to Listen

2. Read and Prepare - Read the introduction and prepare to hear the audio.

Go Super to Listen

At the end of a sporting event, we say that the winning team beat the losing team. They were better than them. In basketball, if a defender is faster than the ball, he or she can beat a shot by hitting the ball out of the air as an opponent is trying to score. This is also called a block.

We recently got the chance to talk with basketball star Marcin Gortat and before we started filming, he told us that his favorite slang term for blocks is “beat the shot.” Along with Dwight Howard, Marcin plays center for the Orlando Magic. He is the first Polish player in the NBA and has earned the nickname “The Polish Hammer” for dunking and blocking shots with authority.

Watch our interview with Marcin Gortat and learn more shot blocking slang as well as Marcin’s favorite hobby, which just might be your favorite hobby as well.

3. Watch - Watch the video without reading the dialog.

English, baby! English Lesson Video

Dialog

1. Listen and Read - Listen to the audio and read the dialog at the same time.

2. Study - Read the dialog again to see how the vocab words are used.

Marcin

Jason

Jason: Welcome to English, baby! I’m Jason, here with Marcin “The Polish Hammer” Gortat. How’s it goin’, Marcin?

Marcin: I’m good. How are you doin’?

Jason: I’m doing well. And so, I understand you speak a lot of languages. What all languages do you speak?

Marcin: I speak German, Polish, and Serbian.

Jason: And English, obviously. So, what’s your strategy for learning a language? Do you have a special method that you like to use?

Marcin: First of all, you know, I like to learn, you know, different languages and we can say that’s my hobby. The next thing, which I’m going to try to learn in the next couple of months is going to be Spanish. So, it’s actually coming really easy. And it’s kind of really easy to learn those languages for me. And obviously English was the first language I learned in school.

Jason: Great. And so, for all of your fans out there who don’t know a lot of basketball terms, we were hoping you could teach us a slang term for blocking shots. ‘Cause that’s one of the ways you got your nickname, the Polish Hammer. So, what’s your favorite term for blocking a shot?

Marcin: Oh, you use different things, you know. Most of the time, you know, stuff like I beat that, you know, rejected, you can say also, I got that, stay on the ground and you just use all kinds of different words.

Jason: So what kind of block is an “I beat that” block?

Marcin: Just a good block where you’re gonna slap the ball and it’s going to go, you know, into the stands or just, you know, stop him on the board is the best one. If you can catch the ball, that’s really good.

Jason: Thanks so much for talking with us, Marcin. Can I get you to give me a high-five and say, “English, baby!” in the air?

Marcin: English, baby!

Jason: Thanks, man. Thanks so much.

Grammar Point

Go Super to learn "Gerunds vs. Infinitives" from this lesson

Quizzes

Go Super to take Quiz

Lesson MP3

Go Super to download full lesson MP3

Go Super to Ask Ebaby! teachers your questions!

Practice TOEFL Vocabulary >

Discussion

Go Super to Listen

Marcin likes to block shots and he makes it look easy. Sometimes he can even catch the ball as it goes up toward the basket instead of just hitting it out into the crowd. Either way, you could say he beat[/def] the shot because he got to the ball before it got to the basket. Marcin likes to use “I beat that” when he hits the ball so hard it lands in the stands. Another slang term for blocking shots that Marcin uses is rejected[/def]. After a good block, it’s common for fans to shout, “rejected!”

When he’s not blocking shots, Marcin is learning languages. He says it’s his hobby and that he already knows English, Serbian, German and Polish. His next project will be Spanish.

Shots and opponents aren’t the only things you can beat by being faster or stronger. You can beat a deadline if you get something done early. If you’re sick, you can beat the illness and get well.

Have you ever beat a shot[/def]? Do you think you could beat Marcin Gortat in a game of 1 on 1? Maybe you could beat him at Spanish and learn it before he does.

Comments

1 through 20 of 38
Next >
1 2

anna_poland

Poland

Hahah, I like Marcin. He's very positive man and helpful. He helps kids who want to be like him in the future. He plays with them. Not everyone has the time for this or desire.

emirata

Turkey

i am a rpfesıonal baksetball player

and i lıke grtat but my best player ıs garnet

EstebanM

Colombia

I really learn in this lessons. Same, I feel inspired by this people to learn more and more. Thanks Jason, Thx Ebaby. If Marcin needs, I'm really good in Spanish.

renkamp21

Poland

Hi!

Marcin is very a hard working, very intelligent guy. He's the proud of our sport, but he isn't the firs Polish player in the NBA. Cezary Trybański was the first one:)

kingwei

China

this is my first time here hoping to recognize more friends.and i like nba because of AI .

kuba9o

Norway

Woow! Marcin is on ebaby lol! amazing, our fellow polish :D

and for all you lebron lovers and kobe haters,

Kobe Bryant is the most completed player in the world and the best!

singkey

Afghanistan

In most people’s opinion, I am not a pretty girl, actually speaking, I was born with nothing to do with the word of beauty, regard me as a cowboy is more vivid. Boy-looking girl is really strange, that is why I was always so self-focus, but that was the past, I am totally different now, if you see a guy with<a href=http://afflictionclothingmall.com/affliction-mens-affliction-men-denims-c-13_21.html> Denim Mens Jeans</a> and<a href=http://afflictionclothingmall.com/affliction-mens-affliction-men-ss-tees-c-13_14.html> Mens Short Sleeve Tee</a> that is me.

I always could not believe I am a girl, sometimes I hate this reality, I like what boys like to do, but I can do nothing about it. With the time goes by ,just an incident, i went out shopping with my friends, <a href=http://afflictionclothingmall.com/affliction-mens-affliction-men-ss-tees-c-13_14.html> Affliction t shirt</a> came to my heart, put on this kind of cloth ,I feel totally different, the Affliction Tees appeal to me, I like the<a href=http://afflictionclothingmall.com/sinful-sinful-ls-tees-c-16_19.html> Women's Long Sleeve Tee</a> when I first saw it, I even think they are specially designed for me.

The<a href=http://afflictionclothingmall.com/affliction-mens-affliction-men-denims-c-13_21.html> Denim Jeans Brand</a> is my favorite, now I am confident ,becoming more and more outgoing, you can never believe apparel can affect me so much, but it is true ,these Tees Apparel change me ,bring me happiness and friendship.

<a href=http://www.buydvdmall.com>P90X Workout </a>is also suitable for the people who are too busy to do some exercises in the gym. Whenever you have time at home, you can do exercises with P90X Workout. On the other hand, P90X can save you much. All you have to do is buy<a href=http://www.buydvdmall.com> P90X DVDs</a>.

<a href=http://www.discountrosettastone.com/>Rosetta stone</a> software is a language self-learning tool. By using it, it looks simpler to learn a foreign language. Because of the relaxing method of learning the words and sentences by pictures, I think it’s funny and easy to remember. And though I am tired after work, this learning lets me feel like watching TV rather than learning boring things. I bought<a href=http://www.discountrosettastone.com/> Rosetta stone English</a> firstly. Because French is my second language and I want to learn it well. <a href=http://www.discountrosettastone.com/>Rosetta stone French</a> gives great help. The true man sound makes the scene and occasion more real that I think I am really communicating with a French gentleman or beautiful girl in Paris. It is really good feeling.

pubsping

France

good lesson !!!!!!!!!! good nba's player !!!!! i love orlando magic with vince carter , michael pitrus aka air france !!!!!!!!! and the basketball is tha better sport in the world

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! fan's nba the better nba player it's lebron james it's a show man !!!!!! lebron it's unstoppable

kpl

Taiwan

It's also my hobby for playing basket ball and I used to beat a shot unexpectedly as the opponets don't think me as a competitor. Talk to the learning languages , hoping that i will not keep staying at the rim .